Brooder.



E. MAURER.

BHOODER.

APPLICATLON FILED DEc.13. lsu.

Patented Feb.25,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.'

E. NIAURER.

BROODEH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I3, 1917.

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BROODER.

APPLlcMloN man Dsc. r3 19u.

l, Patented Feb.25,1919.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ERWINMAURER, or JAMAICA, NEW YORK.

BRooDER.

To all 'whom t may concern.' jl

Be Ait known that L'ERWIN Mannen, a citizen of the United States, Vresiding at Jamaica, Long Island, in the county of' Queens and Sta-te of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brooders, of which the followingis a full,

viding a' plurality of compartments. ar

ranged one above the other.

It is also the'aim of the invention to provide improved means for heating and ven tilating the several compartments of the brooder, and to equip each` compartment with a separate runway which is exposed to the outside air. A further object is to construct a 'brooder of a considerable number of comparatively small parts so that, if one or more vof-them'be'conies broken or lostv they may be replaced at small expense.

Other objects will appear as the descrip-u tion proceeds. i

' Theinvention will be rstv hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying x drawings, which constitute part of this 'specicatlom and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, whereinl similarreference characters are used to destion, part of the heating apparatus being.

` 1 extending from the door openlng 5 to vthe outer edges of the sectionsl and 2 at the ignate corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Figurel is a side elevation of a brooder constructed inaccordance with this invenbroken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the brooder.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the linel 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an 'inside elevation of one end of the brooder, showing more particularly the hinged door to the tunnel, and the grooves Ato receive' the combined roof and floor members.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig.:

4, showing the tongue and' groove connection between the two sections of the end member, and the interlocking connection between the upright portionsof the combined floor and roof members, and the end member.

Specicatim of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 191e.

Application filed December 13, 1917. Serial No. 206,910. -f

Fig. 6 is a broken detached view of the brooder.

Fig. 7 is a broken detached view of the tunnelwhich extends through the brooder ,-.from end to end'.

-cover for the top compartment of the.

Fig. 8 is a centra-l vertical section through lthe brooder and tunnel, showing more particularly the dampers for controlling the admission of heated air to the several compartments of the brooder. i

Fig. ,9 is a transverse vertical section Vthrough the tunnelalone, showing the thermostatic controlling means for the dampers.

Fig. -10 is a longitudinal section takenV on the `line 10-10 of Fig. A3, showing more clearly the arrangement of the combined loorandroof'membersl and the wire partitions between them for subdividing the compartments formed thereby. Fig.- 11 isa detailed view of one of the combined floor and roof members. Fig'. 12 is a broken side elevation of th end of the 'peakof. a' roof rof'modiied construction having means or connecting an -eXtension'roof where it is desired to enlargev Fig. 13 isa section on the line 13 "13 of 5 whichis normally closed by av door 6 hinged at 7 at one edge and preferably provided with a laItch'S, Fig. ,4, at its other edge.'` Onl the inside of the end member there are formed horizontal grooves 9 in line with the several steps 4, said grooves bases of said steps.` Between the -end members and in line -with the door 'openings 5 therein, there exvals tends a peaked tunnel 10 which isl made in two parts having tongue and groove connection 11 along the peak. The sections of the.

tunnel are provided with outstanding slotted ears 12 adapted to connect withheaded lugs`13 on the inner faces of the sections 1 and 2 of the end members for retaining the p'arts in assembled relation. These ears 12 are preferably arranged near the top andl bottom of each section of the tunnel, it being noted that the peak of the tunnel extends some distance above the door openings 5 in the end membeis.

.The space between the end members and outside of the tunnel is divided up into compartments by means of combined fioor and roof members 14 which are in the form of flat plates t-he' ends of which engage t-he grooves 9 in Ithe end members. At the inner edge of each of the combined floor and roof members there is an upstanding flange 15 having notches 16 to connect with headed lugs 17 on the outer surf-ace of the tunnel. After the members 14 are inserted in the grooves 9, the headed lugs 17 are sprung into engagement with the slots 1G in the flanges 15, whereby the members 14 are retained in position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 10. The lateral edges of the downwardly extending portions 1S at the front corners of the member 14 are adapted to engage grooves formed by rebent portions 19 at the ends of the steps 4 of the end members, as best illustrated .in Fig. 5. The compartments thus formed are inclosed at the outside by curtains 20. Beyond said curtains runways are inclosed by wire screens 21,

attached in any suitable manner to the brooder structure. Access to said runways may be had through the hinged covers 22 of all but the bottom compartments, each of the latter being provided with a hinged closure 23 in its vertical wall. The reason for this difference is that each bottom compartment does not extend beyond the runway of the compartment immediately above it, as clearly shown in Fig. 3,-.

The several compartments are ventilated through upright tubes 24 which are fitted over openings 25 in the combined floor and roof members 14 and extend up through the hinged covers 22 of the screened in runways. This applies to all of the compartments except the one at the top which is covered by the peaked roof illustrated in Fig. G and which comprises two sections 26 and 27 having tongue and groove connection 2S along the peak. This peaked roof has slotted ears 29 at its ends to engage headed lugs 30 on the inner faces of the end members.' This top compartment is`ventilated through a. pipe 31 in the peaked roof. Said pipe 31 may be fittedv with a cover 32 attached to a lever 33 intermediately pivoted at 34 and connected at its other end by rodl 35 to a thermostat 36 suitably supported within said top compartment. It will be understood that the Ventilating pipes 24 for the other con'ipartments may also be fitted with covers controlled by thermostats in substan` tially the same manner. The curtains 20 for the top compartment are attached to the peaked roof, while the curtains for the lower compartments are connected yto the combined floor and roof members.

space than the others, may be provided with transverse partitions 37, Fig. 10, preferably made of wire mesh material and retained in place by grooves 38 on the combined floor and roof members 14. These partitions 37 may extend across the runways bevond the curtains as well as across the inclosed port-ions of the compartments.

The several compartments are heated from the tunnel 10 by means of a hot air pipe 39 extending through the upper portion thereof albove the door openings 5. Heated air is supplied to this pipe 39 from a burner or lamp 40 arranged in a casing 41 on the outside of the brooder and connected to said pipe 39 by an elbo-w pipe 42 hinged thereto at 43, so that the elbow may be swung upward for inspecting the burner without disconnecting it from the pipe 39. As shown, the burner is adapted to be supplied with fuel from. a tank 44, the supply being controlled by a valve 45. The heated air after passing through the pipe 39 in the tunnel is permitted to slowly escape through a' restricted outlet pipe 46 protruding from the end of the brooder and preferably provided with an adjustable cap 47.

tunnel and connected by means of straps 52 with athermostat 53 arranged in the lower portion of the tunnel. If some of the comartments are not in use, the straps 52 may e disconnected from the corresponding' dampers, and the latter kept closed, whereby only the amount of heat necessary to warm the occupied compartments need be furnished.

The thermostat 53 may be of any known construction. As shown, it is composed of a looped bar having an extension rod 58 at one end pivoted at 54 to one wall ofthe tunnel while the other end of said loopedI bar 53 is connected to a rod 55 which ispivoted at one end to one of the straps 52 at 56 and at the other endto the other strap 52- at 57, Figs. 3 and 9. The strap on the side adjacent the pivot 54 is also pivoted at 59 to the extension rod 58, so that when said loop expands under the action of the heated air Vin the tunnel the rod 55 will be forced downward carrying with it both of the straps 52 Whlch are connected to its opposite ends,

thereby simultaneously swinging all of the dampers 50 on their pivots 51 to close the openings 49. The strap 52, which is connected to the extension rod 58, is permitted to move downward when the thermostat 53 expands by reason of the pivots 54 and 59.

When the temperature falls to a suitable degree, the thermostat will act to-cause the` dampers to swing` in the opposite direction and uncover the openings 49.

The tunnel is preferably divided by a transverse partition which maybe supported in position in line with the partitions 37 by downwardly extending pins 61 engaging socketed lugs 62 on the inside of the tunnel. This partition preferably terminates below the heating pipe 29, as shown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 12 and 13, I have shown a modified construction of the ends of the peaked roof 27 to provide for connecting an extension roof, as when two. brooders are to be placed together, without duplicating the end members. As illustrated in these figures, 2 is the common end member of the two brooders or of the main brooder and extension, and 63 and 64 are the peaked roofs thereof. The roof 63 extends over the end member 2 and is bent to form a groove 65 into which a flange 66 on the roof 64 fits for locking the two roofs together. The tongue and groove connections 67 and 68 of the roofs 63 and 64, which are similar to the tongue and groove connection 28 along the peak of the roof 27, simply abut, as shown in Fig. 12, the grooves being formed in the inclined portions of the roof 63 at opposite sides of the tongue and groove lconnections 67 at the peak.

It will be observed that a considerable number of separate compartments are provided in a single brooder structure by means of the combined floor and roof members 14 and the partitions 37, thereby providing for housing' many .different broods of chicks, each of which has a separate runway open to the outside air. `The heating of all except the two bottom compartments is controlled by the thermostat-actuated dampers,

,so that too much heat will not be furnished4 to the upper compartments and not enough to the bottom compartments. Ofcourse, the greater portion of the heat will collect in the upper portion of the tunnel, and for this reason the slots 48- in the lower edge of the tunnel walls are always left open to permit a suiiicient amount of heated air to pass to the bottom compartments.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure' by Letters Patent of the United States is :--F 1. A brooder having a plurality of compartments arranged one above the other in stepped relation, separate outside runways for said compartments, the runways for the inner faces and vertical grooves at their edges, combined floor fand roof members having their lateral edges arranged in the horizontal grooves whereby the brooder is divided into a plurality of compartments arranged one above the other, anddepending anges on said combined floor and roof members engaging the vertical grooves at the edges of the` end memlbers.

, 3. A knockdownlbnooder comprising end members having stepped edges, horizontal grooves on their inner'faces in line with the tops of said steps, and vertical grooves at the ends of the steps, combined ioor and roof members having their lateral edges arranged in thel horizontal grooves of the end members, whereby the brooder is divided into a plurality of compartments arranged one above the other, and depending flanges on said combined floor and roof members engaging the vertical grooves at the ends of the steps in the end members.V

4. A knockdown'brooder comprising end means for heating the air in the tunnel, a

thermostat in the tunnel andmeans of connection between the thermostat and dampers for simultaneously moving the dampers at both sides.

6. VA ibrooder divided into a plurality of compartments arrangedA one above the other, a tunnel extending through the brooder and provided with openings in its opposite walls communicating with the several. compartments, dampers mounted on the walls of the tunnel 'to cover said openings, straps con-l necting the dampers on the respective sides of the tunnel, and a thermostat connected to both straps for simultaneously moving all the dampers.

7. A brooderdivided into a plurality of compartments arranged one above the other,

a tunnel extending through the brooder andv provided with openings communicating With the several compartments, the openings leading to the bottom compartments being uncovered, controllable means for covering the openings leading to the upper compartments, and a heating pipe extending through l the upper portion of said tunnel from one end of the brooder to the other. v

8. A lbroeder comprising end memlbers having door openings therein, a tunnel extending between said end members in line with said door openings, the top of the bers in the upper part of the tunnel, there being openings in the Walls of the tunnel for delivering the heated air from the tunnel to the brooder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ERVVIN MAURER. 

